Football: Nuneaton Town surrender two-goal lead against Ebbsfleet United

ON A POSITIVE front, the entertainment was equally as exciting as watching Usain Bolt’s sprinting brilliance at the London Olympics, on a negative front Boro’s defending was as useless as my running performances on sports day at Arbury High School back in the 1960s.

ON A POSITIVE front, the entertainment was equally as exciting as watching Usain Bolt’s sprinting brilliance at the London Olympics, on a negative front Boro’s defending was as useless as my running performances on sports day at Arbury High School back in the 1960s.

Yes there were some pluses, one of which was man-of-the-match Andy Brown netting twice in an outstanding striker’s display and another was the never-say-die efforts of midfielder Adam Walker, but they were far outweighed by the worrying array of negatives.

Keeper Ben McNamara will quickly want to forget his Nuneaton debut after a hesitant 90 minutes that included a crucial, game-changing misjudgment with the opening goal for the Kent men.

Yet the anxieties were not confined to just the man between the sticks as the whole back four struggled to keep a grip on a useful but certainly no world-beating Fleet frontline.

Managed by former Coventry City boss Laim Daish, Ebbsfleet, along with Boro, are expected to be battling for survival comes next April and on this showing both teams will do well to avoid the bottom four positions.

A disappointing crowd of below 1,100 witnessed Boro’s return to the Conference and while the action made the admission fee to the neutral well worth it, for the Nuneaton faithful they left the Triton Arena with mixed feelings, seeing their team’s first home league defeat since New Year’s Day against Hinckley United.

Five goals conceded, no points and two tough away games at Newport County tomorrow night and Grimsby Town at the weekend emphasise Boro are back in the big time but manager Kevin Wilkin, who fielded seven of his summer signings, will be under no illusions the task he’s been set.

It looked plain sailing for Boro as inside 17 minutes they had opened up a two-goal advantage – Brown and Walker with glorious finishes – as the Fleet rearguard showed definite signs of being sunk without trace, alas Daish’s men showed real character and ability to take full advantage of Town’s generosity to storm into a 4-2 interval lead inside 50 minutes.

A missed Brown penalty hindered Boro’s fightback although it mattered hardly as almost immediately Robbie Thompson-Brown did reduce the arrears.

Chances came and were squandered by Boro and they were punished as the visitors again opened up a two-goal advantage.

Brown completed his brace in injury time but it was too late to salvage any points.

Wilkin included just three players – Brown, Walker and Neil Cartwright – who made the starting line-up for the play-off final success at Gainsborough back in May, and it all looked good as on eight minutes Tom James broke down the left and when the cross came in Brown’s stunning six-yard, leaning back, volley rippling the Fleet rigging.

Ryan Blake’s goalline clearance foiled Brown from doubling his tally but on 17 minutes the ex-Hinckley and Telford frontman flicked on a fine pass for Walker to unleash a power-laden 20-yarder that bulged the net past the helpless Preston Edwards.

However, on 21 minutes it was again game-on for Fleet. There looked no danger when Boro defended a free-kick wide on the right and just three yards from the goal-line but McNamara’s positional play was found wanting as Phipp squeezed a low shot between the wall and the keeper’s near post to find the target.

That proved to be a defining factor as within 90 seconds the visitors were back on terms.

This Joe Howe’s centre from right found the unmarked Nathan Elder and his diving header flew beyond the helpless McNamara in the home goal.

Just past the half hour and there was more woe for Boro when Edwards’ long punt upfield saw Elder allowed to chest down, turn and lob a fine ball to Moses Ashikodi, whose acute angled drive disappointingly flew across McNamara and inside the far post.

Brown’s looping header almost restored parity for Boro with the crossbar saving United, who made the most of their good fortune by stretching their lead early into the second period.

Liam Enver-Marum was left in oceans of room down the right and he cut inside to slot a skidding cross shot beyond McNamara.

However, inside 60 seconds Boro were gifted a penalty when Ryan Blake’s handling offence was spotted by the linesman only for Brown’s weak spot-kick to be pushed aside by Edwards..

But Nuneaton were quickly back in it as Gavin Cowan headed a corner back into the danger zone where Brown nodded down for Thompson-Brown to explode a rising eight-yarder high into the net.

Walker blazed a good offering just over while Edwards acrobatically tipped over Wes York’s fierce rising edge of the box drive but hopes faded on 88 minutes.

Phipp went past two defenders and hammered a splendid angled drive past McNamara and over the line off the underside of the bar.

In time added on, Brown’s diving header cut the arrears but the Fleet left town with the three-point haul while Boro were left to think of what might have been.